Silo.



E. E. HINCHLIFF.

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.2?, l9l3.

1,138,869. Patented May 11, 1915.

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E. E. HINCHLIFF.

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-27, 1913.

Patented May 11, 1915.

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EVERETT E. I-IINCHLIFF, OF GALLESBUIRG, ILLINOIS.

SILO.

Application filed December 27, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EVERETT E. HINCH- LIFF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Silo, of which the following is a specification. 7

My present invention relates particularly to roofs for silos and similar structures.

The principal object of my invention is to so construct a novel continuation of the silo, in order that it may be filled above its walls and eaves and above the position heretofore able center supporting ring and cap or skylight therefor.

Another object is to provide simple means for supporting any one or more, but less than the entire number of sections, when they have been placed in upright positions, and to utilize the same means, when all the sections have been raised to extend the height of the silo side walls, to prevent them from falling outwardly.

Minor objects will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out.

The invention consists in both the generic and specific features of construction, in the combinations of elements, and in the arrangement and disposition of the parts for co-action, all of which will be hereinafter fully described and which will be pointed out in the claims hereof.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings that form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory results, although it is to be understood that the several instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Serial No. 808,936.

structed, arranged, and organized; that they can be applied to silo bodies or walls varying greatly in outline, structure and material; and that I do not contemplate the scope thereof as limited to the structure shown and described but consider it as covering all such changes as fairly fall within the general idea thereof, viewed in its broadest aspect.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of the upper portion of a silo embodying my improvements, the proximate side showing the roof sections in normal or permanent positions and the distant roof sections and leaves shown as elevated, or in position for filling the silo; Fig. 2, a vertical section, partly broken away, showing the entire superstructure in closed or normal position; Fig. 3, a top plan, a detail, the upper (or central) and left hand roof sections and leaves shown as in vertical positions and the right hand roof sections and leaves shown as partly elevated, or as being elevated; Fig. 4, a transverse section, partly in elevation, showing the operation of the ridge roll; Fig. 5, an elevation, a detail showing the operation of the centrally arranged supporting ring and the cap hinged thereto; Fig. 6, an elevation, further illustrating the operationof said ring and cap; and Fig. 7, a detail, illustrating the preferred manner of securing the hinges 8 to the silo body. Figs. 2 and 8 are enlarged with reference to Fig. 1, and Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive are enlarged withreference toFigs. 2 and 3.

Coming now to a detailed description of said drawings, and referring by a distinguishing numeral, uniformly employed, to each element therein illustrated, 2 designates a silo body which maybe of any suitable shape, character, or material, the one shown being constructed of horizontally laid overlapping strips 2 and rails 2".

3 designates each one of the eaves, secured on the rails 2" and one provided with an extension 4: to which is secured a trap door 5 affording means of communication with the chute or panel 6 in which the usual doors are arranged. These parts also may be of any preferred construction and 8X- cepting only as they enter into combinations with my improvements do not concern my invention. 7

' 7, 7 designate substantially triangular or frusto-triangular roof sections, each secured to the body 2 by hinges 8, spikes 9 which are shown as first passing through the eaves 3 being the means preferably employed for securing the hinges to the roof sections and silo body. The particular construction of the sections 7 may and will vary to correspond to silo bodies difiering in theircross sectional outlines. F or the purposes of this specification they shall, both herein and in the appended claims be designated as triangular which term I comprehend as covthese three elements are so combined as to operate as suchz'. 6., they are raised and lowered together as a unit, and when elevated constitute an oblong, rectangular unit.

13 indicates a centrally arranged supporting ring, secured by hinges 18 to a block 14: suitably secured to one of the roof sections 7, and 15 designates a cap securedto said ring by hinges 16 and provided with a skylight 17, Y I

20, 20 designate ridge-rolls secured each by hinges 2 1 to a roof section 7, and 22, 22

designate hooks at their edges opposite the hinges 21 and adapted to engage eyes 23 in the adjacent sections7 24:, 24: (see Fig. 4) indicate ridge strips.

25, 25 designate stationary ridge rolls, secured on the eaves 3, as shown best in Fig. 1.

Pivoted to theinner faces of a portion of the leaves or fillers 12 are locking-bars 26,

each of which is adapted to engage a keeper 27 secured on an adjacent leaf. Secured to the outer faces of a portion of Said leaves or fillers are grab-irons or links 28, the inwardly bent free end of each of which is adapted to embrace a lug 30, Fig.3, secured ,on the adjacent leaf and. preferably embedded therein, whereby the leaves 12 are locked, when in elevated positions, from falling outward.

31, 31 designate hooks suitably secured to the center-ring 13 and adapted to engage staples or eyes 32 (Fig. 2) secured in the inner end portions of the sections 7, to support the latter when they are in prone or normal positions.

Secured to the inner faces and near the inner ends of both the roof sections 7 and leaves 12 are rings 33 through which a cable or chain 34 is passed and to any one or more of which the cable may be secured in any desired manner.

Assume all the roof sections 7 and leaves 12 to be in normal positions, or in the positions shown in Fig. 2, and the ring 13 and cap 15 also to be in the positions there shown. The operator, desiring to arrange the silo in position for filling, will swing the cap backwardly on its hinges and let it rest upon the section 7 immediately in rear thereof. A pair of hooks 31 is then disengaged from the eyes 32 and a pair of hooks 22 released from their engagement with the eyes 23 to release the ridge roll 20, which is then swung back into the position shown in Fig. 3. The hooks 22 and eyes 23 may be dispensed with if desired, for the cap and ring rest on the inner ends of said rolls and hold them firmly and securely in position. One of the sections 7 being thus freed at its inner end, said end may then be swung upwardly until the section assumes the perpendicular or substantially perpendicular position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the operator will securely engage the cable 34 with one or both rings 33 on said section and tie a loose portion thereof to any selec tive unelevated portion of the structure, as indicated at Fig. 1, to prevent the raised section from falling outwardly while the silo is being filled or while the remaining sections are being raised. The leaves 12 hinged to said section are then swung into parallelism therewith, on the hinges 10. The filling pipe is then to be directed into this opening and the permanent walls filled and tamped almost to the eaves, whereupon the operator, who may now stand upon the top layer of ensilage. will proceed in like manner to raise an adjacent section and its leaves into perpendicular position. He will then throw a. lock-bar 26 into its keeper 27 and bring the proper grab-iron 28 into engagement with the lug 30, thus locking adiacent leaves on both their inner and outer faces. These operations are continueduntil the last remaining roof section and its leaves are elevated and locked as above described,

in which. position they constitute an annular extension or continuation of the body. As shown in Fig. 1, the cap 15 and center ring 13 will depend from the block 1 1 when in elevated positions. The extension being free and open at its top,- the filling pipe may be directed into any part thereof and the ensilage may completely fill the extension. The trampers or packers stand erect in tramping or packing the topmost layerat the edges as well as at the central portion, and without the slightest discomfort. The ensilage may be packed much more firmly than is possible in stationary roof silos; a tampingiron may be used with the utmost freedom on the top layer as well as on those 1 below it; and the upper portion of the ensilage will not be so liable to decomposition. A silo constructed as hereinabove described will hold a much greater amount of silage than will one of like size constructed and filled as formerly. The entire extension may be constructed economically at a factory and shipped knocked down at low freight rates. The danger of the structure being blown out of plumb or down is greatly reduced, owing to its relatively low height. Any rain which may fall through the open top will be beneficial, for it is a common expedient to wet down the ensilage. The saving in the cost of construction and erection will be apparent. In this connection it may be here stated that a preferred method of construction is to build up an oblong rectangular piece and then saw two diagonal cuts from end to end thereof, a perfect fit being thus insured. When the silo including the extension has been filled and packed it is left for a day or two to settle, whereupon the operations of securing the sections 7 and leaves 12 are reversed, in order to return them to the positions shown in Fig. 2, the ridge rolls 2O swung into normal positions, the supporting ring swung into place, the hooks 31 engaged with the staples 32, and the cap swung over said ring. In thus closing down the sections and leaves it will be evident that the lower edges of the latter will rest upon the ensilage and thereby support the initially closed sections until all have been lowered and the supporting ring and cap have been swung over into operative closed positions. vVhen all of the sections and leaves have been raised to form the silo-body-continu ation or extension, the cable 34 is to be drawn tautly through all the rings 33, whereby said cable serves to aid the elements 10, 26, 27, 28 and 30 in retaining said sections and leaves securely together.

Having thus set forth the preferred construction, the purposes, operation and advantages of the invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following, to-wit:

1. A silo roof comprising a plurality of independently elevatable sections, and a cap hingedly connected with the free end of one of said sections and adapted to swing out of the way when the section with which it is connected is elevated.

2. A silo roof comprising a plurality of independently elevatable sections, and a cap hingedly connected with one of them, adapted to swing down on the outside of the section with which it is connected when the latter is elevated and to rest on and cover the inner ends of all the roof sections when they are in normal positions.

3. In a roof, a plurality of elevatable sections, a block secured to the free end of one of said sections, a ring hinged to said block and adapted to rest on the inner ends of said sections when they are in normal positions, and a cap hinged to said block and adapted to hang outward of the adjacent roof section when it is elevated. 4. A silo-roof comprising a plurality of independent elevatable roof sections, a capsupporting element secured to one of said sections, and a cap hingedly connected with said cap-supporting element and adapted to hang on the outside of the section with which it is connected when the latter is elevated.

5. A silo roof comprising a plurality of independent sections, a hinge block secured to one of said sections, a center-ring hinged to said blockand adapted to swing backward therefrom, and a cap fixed to said ring.

In testimony whereof I hereto aiiix my signature this 22nd day of December, 1913, at Galesburg, Knox county, Illinois, in presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

EVERETT E. HINGHLIFF.

Witnesses LOUISE EBLE, H. M. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

